Raptors In The Rain

It seems to be raining photo opportunities here and Ant Hill (our newly christened name for our home!).

Last Sunday I got some unbelievable shots of a Green Woodpecker feeding on the lawn ... and today, after three years of just missing it, I finally, finally, got my Sparrowhawk photo.

If there was any doubt what actually happened to Padraig now I think we can lay it to rest ... he most certainly became Sparrowhawk food! I have no idea what got caught and what was eating, but it didn't die in vain! I have some of the feathers in the kitchen in the hope someone can ID them on twitter for me. I suspect it was a Great Tit.

It has been a rough old day for the birds in my garden today, there is a new cat appeared, and he took a Blue Tit fledgling this morning. I do all I can to stop them catching birds, but it is impossible to stop them completely. It is strange how two predators can arouse such passionate debates. Most people marvel at a Sparrowhawk kill in their garden, as it is nature at it's rawest, but then balk at a cat kill. At the end of the day, a cat is still a predator, and yes I know they don't kill for food which is the biggest issue, but they have only been domesticated for a few hundred years or so, their hunting instinct is way to strong for them to resist!

Bevosity was right ... I did finally get that Sparrowhawk shot I was finally after!

Six more and the woodpecker shots can be seen in my Back Garden Nature Summer 2012 flickr set.